


Space Oddity

by KIASK



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Captain Sungjin, Doctor! Kim Wonpil, Eventual Sexy Stuff, First Mate Younghyun, Jaehyungparkian, M/M, Pilot! Jae, Slow Burn, Space Adventure, Space Opera! Au, Theif! Jae
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-15 15:33:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13616331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KIASK/pseuds/KIASK
Summary: Day6! in SPACEorThe Firefly AU





	1. Persephone

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone.
> 
> I pretty much only ever do one shots these days so bear with me while I figure out a comfortable style for this monster. I've been thinking about this for MONTHS and I finally decided it's time. I'll update the tags as we go but just know that there will be:  
> Space sex!  
> Violence!  
> Jaehyungparkian Enemies to Friends to Lovers (a classic)  
> Really sad backstories!  
> Angst!  
> Shenanigans involving ugly dresses at rich people balls!  
> Wonpil as a hot doctor/ COMPANION!  
> WOW!

Dust kicks up around them, making it difficult to breathe amongst the crowds stomping through the streets of Persephone. It’s hot, too hot. Vendors line the centre of the dusty road, peddling all sorts of merchandise from all over the Verse. Exotic meat on a stick here, silky fabrics over there, strange pots and pans, treasures, bits and bobbles. It’s overwhelming on a good day. On a bad day (a day like today) it’s beyond suffocating. The chaos is all consuming to anyone who doesn’t know what they’re there for, and many a traveller has been led astray, tricked into overspending, into overindulging (Often they lose more than just their worldly belongings, which is why it is inadvisable to visit the markets alone).  

Ships of all sorts and stories line the docks along the edge of the bustling market. From yesterday’s junkyard haul to today’s finest. Most dock on business, dealing in the trades in order to maintain their vessel. Others come from far away to fuel up on route to a less chaotic destination. Some even journey on tour, specifically in search of the rarities to be found throughout the dusty roads. Rarely the rich, never the poor, more often than not with some sort of purpose.

Park Sungjin grips the small wooden box in his coat pocket tightly. He fears that he’ll lose it in the chaos, which means losing his trade, and ultimately losing his ship. The corners are sharp, protecting whatever sits inside. Out of professionalism he decided it best not to open the box when they retrieved it from the old Preacher. He grimaces, hoping that whatever it is that he has in his pocket isn’t going to cause more trouble than it’s worth. Whatever  _ It _ is. He continues to push his way through the crowd, avoiding wandering hands and seductive whispers of promised deals. He breathes in the dusty air and longs for the emptiness of Space, longs for a hot shower, and longs for his pocket to be empty of the sharp little box.  _ We’ll be space-worthy soon… just one more piece… then we can finally leave. _

There’s a tug on the sleeve of his coat and First Mate Kang Younghyun leans over to speak into his ear.

“This is the place Cap…” He sounds hesitant, but nods his head in affirmation after checking the small electronic map. The red dot reaching the small flag on the screen, indicating that they had reached the drop off point. 

“This… Bri are you sure?”

“Well this is where the flag is on the map,” Younghyun sighs as he taps the screen impatiently with his finger.

They’re standing in front of a windowless door that has a small hand-painted sign hanging above it.  _ Serenity.  _ Despite the industrial door, the sign has a friendly vibe to it. Either way, it leaves Younghyun feeling nervous, ever cautious especially when it comes to putting himself in a potentially dangerous position. He’s not a fan of locked and windowless doors. Sungjin squeezes his shoulder lightly before pressing onwards, turning the handle to the door with ease. They’re tired and just want to get out of this hellscape. Persephone is hard enough to deal with for an afternoon, let alone an entire week. It’s best to just get it over with. 

 

***

The ATOM sits somewhere crammed between the other ships along the overcrowded docks close to the main section of the Marketplace. It’s an old ship, but she’s new to Sungjin and Younghyun. They saved up what they could after the war, bought the first space-worthy vessel they could get their hands on, and fled to the farthest reaches of the White Sun galaxy. They would have gone farther, but the ship was slow and as it turns out was in desperate need of repairs. Forget the Hyperdrive, she was barely able to go off-planet by the time they reached Persephone exactly six days, seven hours, and thirty seven minutes ago (Not that either of them are counting, really). The first two years with The ATOM had gone okay as far as slow ships go, but it was starting to burn a theoretical hole in their pockets (as well as their stomachs). Sungjin was happy to float aimlessly, but Younghyun refused to let him waste their lives away like that. 

 

_ “We should be making money Sungjin-ah.” _

_ “Why though? Why can’t we just live out the rest of our lives floating freely through space, coming and going as we please, not worrying about time down below or up above?” _

_ “You’re too carefree” _

_ “I am not carefree!” _

_ “You might miss out on the adventure of a lifetime then” _

_ “Younghyun, we lost all of our family and friends in what can only be described as the most dev-” _

_ “I know. I just… Sungjin please. Please don’t give up just yet, okay? There’s more to life than what we lost in the war.” _

_ “I don’t wan-” _

_ “Sungjin, don’t regret it okay? Don’t make me regret sticking with you, okay?”  _

_ “...” _

_ “...” _

***

 

The door opens easily and they are greeted by the familiar smell of stale beer and incense. A shorter girl with long lavender hair stands behind a makeshift bar, shaking some sort of cocktail together for the couple that sits across from her. They all stop to stare at Sungjin and Younghyun as they duck into the small doorway and freeze awkwardly. Only for a second though, and then she goes back to what she was doing. 

Younghyun leans into Sungjin and whispers in his ear. 

_ “What now?” _

_ “I guess we ask for… Hani?” _

_ “Right… okay.” _

“Are you two just going to stand there or are you gonna come sit down?”

They both jump when the bartender speaks. Her voice is light and airy as she beckons for them to come sit at the bar next to the couple that happily sip on their cocktails. 

Sungjin moves first, shifting awkwardly against the bar. 

“Uhh…”

“What’s it gonna be boys?”

Brian doesn’t make a move to sit. Instead he stands behind Sungjin, with a hand on his shoulder for balance. The smell in the bar is overwhelming but comforting, so naturally he’s on edge.  _ It could be a trap.  _

“We’ve come to deliver a… package. For Hani?”

“Oh. That was faster than I was expecting… I guess word travels quickly around here. Did the preacher send you?”

Sungjin clears his throat, wondering if he should take the box out of his pocket yet or not. Younghyun stays silent, taking in their surroundings in order to map out the best possible escape route should it ever come down to it. (He’s not one for bar fights, but if Sungjin’s life is in danger he’ll throw down). 

“Well… can I have it? I’m assuming you’re here to do a trade right?”

“We’re looking for a… power core? For our ship’s engine.”

Hani gestures towards the other girl working behind the bar and whispers something in her ear. The girl disappears behind a curtain and comes back with a medium sized crate with what Sungjin assumes to be the part he’s so  _ expertly  _ requested. He takes the small box out of his pocket and slides it towards Hani, glad to be rid of its sharp edges and whatever dangers might be lurking inside. 

She opens the box carefully, smiling at the contents inside before shutting it tightly and placing it under the counter. 

“The parts are all yours then. I added a few extra bits just in case you need them. Thanks boys.”

Sungjin feels relief mixed with curiosity and he knows it shows on his face because Hani is laughing. 

“So wh-”

“What’s in the box?” Younghyun cuts him off to the chase. 

“You mean you didn’t even bother to check? Jesus, I didn’t think honest smugglers existed.”

“We’re not smugglers… we just work odd jobs.” (Sungjin hates being called a smuggler because it makes him feel like he’s doing something wrong or illegal, and he really just wants to live an honest life).

“Right… well if you have to know I’ll show it to you,” Hani reaches back under the bar to retrieve the box opening it and turning it towards curious eyes. “It is fun to tease you, but you did a good job. I’ll be sure to recommend you to others if you’re ever looking for work.”

Inside the box sits the juiciest looking strawberry that him and Younghyun have probably ever seen. Fruits are rare in the White Sun Galaxy, unless you have the money. 

 

***

“We really went through all of that… for a strawberry?” Younghyun is carrying the crate that Hani gave them. They left Serenity pretty quickly after their exchange, partially because they felt embarrassed at how serious they had been. Partially because they were eager to get back to the ATOM now that they had what they needed in order to do the most basic repairs. 

_ We can finally leave Persephone. Finally get out of this stupid Galaxy. _

“Well that could have gone a lot worse… I feel a lot better knowing it was a strawberry and not drugs or explosives.”

“You’re so optimistic Sungjin-ah” 

They push their way through the crowds towards the docks, not paying much attention to the horizon. They walk in silence, focused and determined to make it back to the ship, back into the open Space. The suns set in the distance, and the air is cooling down from the too-hot temperature of the day. 

Normally Sungjin would look towards the horizon and admire the splash of colours from the setting suns. Normally he would smile, maybe offer to carry the crate that Younghyun seems to be struggling with (It’s heavy, _ okay _ ). Normally he would watch the colours reflect off of the shiner parts of the ATOM as they draw nearer to where she’s docked.

Normally the ATOM would still be there.

Panic sets in when he looks towards the docks and sees every ship in the world except for his. It’s not like he forgot where she was, especially considering they’ve been docked for nearly a week now. 

“...Younghyun… do you see..?”

“Oh shit.”

Younghyun is already running full tilt towards the dock, the crate rattling in his arms (The weight suddenly doesn’t seem to matter anymore). 

He stops, setting the crate down and staring blankly into the space where the ATOM had been not four hours before. 

Sungjin catches up to him, scanning the area for anybody who might be able to tell him exactly when the ship had left.  _ Details… gone… ATOM… gone… fuck. _

The mechanic from the neighbouring ship calls out to them.

“If you’re looking for that ship, it took off about an hour ago. Thought she would never fly but I guess they managed to get the parts! I was starting to worry.”

Sungjin can’t think straight and he’s on the brink of passing out.  _ Stolen. Gone… we’re really stranded here. We’re really going to die here in this hell dessert.  _

“WHAT DID HE LOOK LIKE?”

Younghyun is already in the mechanic’s face, a ticking bomb ready to blow at the slightest touch. 

“What? I don’t kn-”

Younghyun slams him against the side of his own ship.

“THAT WAS OUR SHIP!”

“Ouch! Not so hard buddy, jeez. I didn’t get a good look at his face but he was tall and had light hair. Let me go, you fucken psycho.”

Younghyun steps back, letting go of the mechanic and stomping towards where Sungjin is still standing. 

“Sungjin-ah. I know you’re upset but now isn’t the time to disassociate, we need to act now. The ATOM probably didn’t get too far in the condition she’s in and it’s only been an hour…”

Sungjin suppresses the urge to cry. Younghyun is right, the ATOM is in pretty bad shape. She’s gone from the dock but maybe still in the area. 

He clears his throat and claps Younghyun on the back. 

“Yeah… yeah you’re right. What are we going to do about the parts? We won’t be able to get too far if we’ve got that crate.”

Younghyun sighs. 

“If only we had our fucking shuttle…”

Sungjin wracks his brain for something… anything to help them. 

Something beeps from within his jacket.

“Oh my god, Bri… the tracker.”

“Oh my god…. Cap… genius.” (He ignores the nickname, but will definitely chew him out for it later).

He pulls the device out of his pocket. It’s old and on the verge of breaking, screeching out a beep tone as the screen lights up with ‘LOW FUEL’ in all red. Normally Sungjin would throw the device across the pilot’s cabin in frustration at the awful sound and the stress that came along with it, but right now he wanted to kiss the dusty screen and take it out to dinner. 

He taps on the screen, waiting for the map to show the little red dot indicating the position of the ship in relation to where they are.

“Captain… it’s in the Dusty Plains just north of here. At this rate it’s only got about an hour left before she crashes, and we already went through all of our backup fuel. Unless this thief was smart enough to check there’s a pretty good chance that we’ll be able to catch him.”

“How much money do we have?”

“Enough to rent a horse?”

***

The saddle is uncomfortable and cramped. It’s been years since either Younghyun or Sungjin have ridden a horse, especially when faster and more efficient modes of travel were available to them. The thing about horses though is that they’re cheap to rent when you’re working with a budget of 100000 Won. 

The red dot blinks out on the screen of the tracking device in Sungjin’s hand. Younghyun steers them towards where they last saw it while Sungjin scans the dark horizon. Nighttime in the Dusty Plains is dangerous, the last thing they need is to be swallowed by some unidentified sand creature while they look for their broken ship. Younghyun is shaking, partially because it’s chilly and all of their night clothes are still on board the ATOM. Partially with anticipation for the beat down he’s planning to lay on the thief when they finally catch him. 

“There!”

Sungjin points towards the horizon just ahead of them.

They get closer to the crash site, trying not to think to hard about the costs that will come from the damage to the hull. 

“Dumb idiot crashed our ship.” 

Younghyun grumbles to himself as he slides off of the horse. He walks towards the latch on the side of the ship that isn’t damaged from the crash and reaches for the hot metal, ready for whatever waits for him on the other side. 

“Careful Bri…”

Sungjin comes up behind him, reaching into his coat for his pistol just in case. (He prays that it’s loaded but doesn’t bother to check).

On the other side of the door is the cargo area. Familiar and dark. Empty. They make their way quickly through the space, gesturing each other as they clear corners. Younghyun has Goldie drawn and ready. 

_ (“Do you think it was just one?” _

_ “It sounds like it…” _

_ “They would have to be pretty damn talented to get ATOM off the ground alone in this state” _

_ “Yeah well, they’re pretty damn stupid to think they can steal our ship and get away with it.”) _

They stop in front of the door to the cockpit, breathing deeply once, twice before Younghyun cocks Goldie and kicks the door in. Sungjin pushes in past him, pistol ready to defend.

 


	2. He's a Thief and a Scoundrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Park Jaehyung is a genius pilot, but not so much a genius thief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still working on a regular schedule for this bad boy, so bear with me for now. I'll likely end up doing weekly updates though~  
> I'm kinda... just writing and not thinking a whole lot so if there's something that's glaringly wrong pls don't hesitate to reach out to me on [twt](https://twitter.com/kiaskonawhim)
> 
> Also! There's some mild violence in this chapter so proceed with caution my dudes. It's not too graphic!

Everything is going fine. Park Jaehyung sits atop the ship, watching its two-manned crew push through the crowded market below. A wrench and some elbow grease is all it takes for him open the emergency hatch.  _ These ships are a joke, anybody with half a mind and a toolbox can break in. _

He hops down into what appears to be the cockpit. The pilot’s seat is worn out, but comfortable looking. Most of the lights on deck seem to be off, which he supposes is normal for a ship that hasn’t been airborne in a while. He takes a second to admire the more personal touches. A small crumpled photograph of a group of soldiers in long brown coats sits on the dash. A couple of candy wrappers. A half empty mug of coffee.  _ What a dump. _

It’s not like he wanted This ship. Any of the vessels along the docks would have done just fine. It just happened that this one has the least experienced looking captain, with no real crew around to boot. It was an easy target, and he can probably sell the shuttle after gutting the rest of it for parts. It’s inconspicuous enough that nobody will question it.  _ Idiots will never know what hit em.  _

He cracks his knuckles and sits in the pilot’s seat, flicking on the switches one by one. The dash whirs to life slowly, old and overused but not completely hopeless. The nice thing about these older models is that they have way less countermeasures against thieves. Anybody could hop on board and fly off if they knew the proper sequence to get the engine going. A switch here, a knob there, a button over there. He’s never flown this particular model, but he knows enough about them that it’s pretty easy to figure it out. Besides, Park Jaehyung has never met a ship that he couldn’t fly, and he’s not about to let this one best him.

He pulls down on the worn out lever directly in front of him and feels the ship move.

“Let’s geeeeeet it.”

 

***

When the ship suddenly came to a halt he realized how stupid he had been for not checking it out more thoroughly. She was broken goods, no wonder the crew of two had been using the shuttle so much. Nobody just stays on Persephone for a week and expects their ship not to be pirated unless there’s something seriously wrong with it. He jumped the gun, desperate to bring something home, desperate for the parts he needs in order to complete his own ship. They didn’t have to be stolen parts, it just proved to be a much more financially stable option for him… He’s generally good at what he does and has never ever been caught, except for now. (Deep in the back of his mind he remembers the  _ very _ conspicuous wanted poster he spotted on one of the many boards in the market. So maybe he had created a bit of a name for himself, but nobody had ever  _ caught _ him. He’s too smart to be caught. Except for now). 

The angry captain stands above him and Jae reaches into his coat for his trusty knife. The guy is intimidating, wearing a long brown coat like the ones the soldiers in the photo. He looks a bit tired, mud caked on his boots along with the thin layer of dust that seems to settle on everything and everyone who sets foot on Persephone. Jae feels his heart rate increase, blood pumping with adrenaline as he grips the knife, ready to draw.

“And just who the fuck are you supposed to be?”

Another man appears from behind the captain. He’s a bit smaller, but strong. His silvery hair just barely held off of his forehead by a dirty bandana. Jae would even think he was cute if he didn’t have a shotgun aimed at his head. The captain stays silent, frowning almost comically. 

Jae takes his moment of silence to duck under the barrel of the pistol pointed at his face, drawing his knife and making a swipe for the captains knees.  _ I can still get away. _ He’s quick, but the boot of Cute Bandana Guy is quicker and descends quickly on his wrist, causing him to drop the knife. It skids across the floor about a foot in front of him.  _ Ah fuck.  _

Cute Bandana Guy kneels so that he’s face to face with Jae, not letting up from his wrist. 

“Fucking,  _ ouch!” _

“Y’mind telling me exactly what you’re doing on our ship, filthy thief?”

He grabs Jae by his hair and it  _ hurts _ and his wrist isn’t broken but it’s definitely not going to feel good tomorrow if he lives through this.  _ Please let me live through this.  _ Jae tries half-assedly to claw at the hand in his hair but Cute Bandana Guy is at a serious advantage with the position that they’re in. He feels the cold of the shotgun pressed against his temple and he freezes.

Park Jaehyung is a genius pilot, but above all he is a thief and a scoundrel with an endless amount of charm at his disposal. All it takes is a flick of the tongue, a cock of the head, and he can get almost anyone on this end of the White Sun Galaxy to submit. He’s sure that this time will be no different.  _ Time to turn on the charm Park Jaehyung. Your life's on the line here. _

“First of all, I’m  _ much _ cleaner than the two of you.”

That earns him a blow to the head. He can feel the blood trickling out of his nose already. 

“Kang…”

The captain speaks up. 

“I’m only going to ask you one more time, who the  _ fuck _ are you, and why are you on our  _ ship?! _ ”

‘Kang’ doesn’t hesitate in asking Jae again, ignoring the captain. He hears the shotgun clickback and he’s starting to think that Cute Bandana Guy isn’t so cute after all. 

“Jeez, do you have to be so rough man? Watch the  _ goods. _ ” He half-assedly tries to gesture towards his face. He doubts this guy will actually pull the trigger.  _ He wouldn’t.  _

“You think that’s fucking  _ funny? Huh?  _ Answer the damn question before I kill you.”

“Kang please, you’re being a little too rough even I have to admit.” 

“Yeah why don’t you listen to your captain,  _ Kang. _ ”  _ Chip away at him until he breaks just enough for an opening. _

That earns him another tug on his hair.

“You know, this might be pretty kinky if you didn’t have a shotgun pressed up against my head.”

_ That’s right Kang. Let your defenses down. _

His face twists into a scowl, a red flush creeping up to his ears.  _ Bingo.  _

“Eat LEAD-”

_ Maybe not bingo.  _

“BRIAN NO!”

The captain interjects.

_ Ohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuck-  _

Not-So-Cute Bandana Guy (Kang) pulls the trigger.

  
  
  


… And he’s met with nothing. Jae cries out in relief at being  _ not dead _ . His vision is blurry and he thinks he might pass out. Definitely-Not-Cute-Bandana-Guy yells something unintelligible. Jae’s head hits the ground as his hair is let go and the weight on his wrist is lifted. He hears the clatter of the shotgun being thrown to the ground and heavy footsteps moving away from him. His vision comes back in and he sees the captain land a punch square in the jaw of his partner.  _ What the fuck kind of crew IS THIS.  _ He passes out. 

 

***

“..h..y... are….you….ay”

Jae opens his eyes slowly. His head  _ hurts _ and it takes him a second to remember exactly where he is.  _ Not dead? _

“Hey, are you okay?” 

The captain is hovering over him, golden brown eyes threatening to suck him in and he wonders if he’s dreaming. Jae tries to move but realizes that he’s been tied up.  _ Of course I’m tied up.  _

He sighs and tries not to think about the fact that he nearly lost his life. The distant sound of metal banging on metal reminds him that his head feels like it’s about to burst. 

“Nng.”

The captain sighs. “Well at least you’re conscious.”

“How long have I been out?”

“At least a few hours.”

He gets up from where he was kneeling and sits down in the pilot chair, swivelling it around in order to face Jae. He looks exhausted, like he really doesn’t want to deal with this right now and Jae almost feels bad for him. He would feel a lot worse if his  _ buddy  _ hadn’t tried to kill him point blank earlier. He spits on the ground in front of them, of course there’s blood.

“Sorry about my partner… Kang can get a little… out of hand when it comes to my life.”

“Are you seriously trying to defend that  _ MURDERER? _ ”

The captain sighs again. 

“He’s technically not a murderer if you’re not dead.”

“Uh, yeah and I would be if there had been a bullet in that shotgun.”

The captain pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Yeah well you’re lucky that I’m more than aware of my trigger-happy First Mate and had the good sense to empty the chamber before our last mission.”

Jae laughs. “Are you serious? You seriously put yourself in that kind of danger?”

“Would you rather be full of holes right now?”

“Okay but suppose I was a threat and actually managed to cap you when I had the chance.”

“Kang doesn’t need a shotgun to take you down, you know”

“Yeah well, what if is all I’m saying. I’m pretty quick you know.”

“Not as quick as Kang.”

“Sounds like you’re in love with him or something the way you’re so quick to defend,  _ huh.” _

“What do you know, you’re just a stupid thief who got caught like a fucking amateur.”

“Exc _ USE _ me? Amateur? Says the idiot who left his ship unattended? It practically had a “Take Me” sign on it.”

“You know, I’m starting to think that maybe I should have let Kang kill you after all.”

Clearly annoyed, he leans forward in the seat so that Jae can see the scowl painted on his face. 

“Listen here,  _ thief. _ I want you to tell me exactly why the fuck you’re on  _ my _ ship.”

“My name is Park Jaehyung,  _ captain. _ ”

“Please just answer the damn question.”

“I forgot the question.”

Jae swears he sees the captain’s eye twitch. 

“Tell me why you’re on my ship, before I call Kang back and have him gut you.”

“Well jeez, that’s not a very nice way to ask me but since you’re so persistent, fine. I’m going to sell it.”

Jae isn’t lying. He’s just not stating all of the facts…like the fact that he’s going to gut the ship for parts first and  _ then _ sell the rest of it… or the fact that he’s building a ship of his own, or that he plans on using it to escape the White Sun Galaxy, or that he has a mission of his own and that completing his vessel is the only way he’ll ever accomplish his goal. 

“But why  _ my ship? _ ”

“Need I remind you that it’s your own fault for being such an easy target?”

The captain sighs again, his lips in a tight frown. He doesn’t seem threatening like  _ Kang _ , but he’s definitely ering on the side of annoyed. 

“A brother’s gotta live man. Get that money. Cashola. You know what I’m saying?”

“You’re a brat.”

“Thank you.”

“I have one more question.”

“Okay, shoot. Not literally though I’ve had enough of that for one da-”

“Do you  _ ever _ shut up?”

“Hey, you asked.”

The captain leans back in his chair, not entirely satisfied with how the conversation seems to be going.  _ Charm him, annoy him. Whatever it takes to get the fuck out of here and back on track. _

He mumbles something to himself that Jae can’t quite hear. (pleasejustletmegetoffofthisfuckinghellscapeplanetbeforeIbecomewantedforactualmurder).

“Okay! Okay… um. How the  _ fuck _ did you get the ATOM off of the ground?”

“What do you mean? I touched a few buttons and I was airborne, haven’t you ever flown before?”

“That’s not what I mean,  _ thief. _ ” He spits out the words.”How did you get a landlocked vessel to fly? There shouldn’t have been any fuel on board, let alone enough to get out this far. Are you some kind of wizard?”

_ I’m really dealing with idiots, aren’t I. Who the fuck buys a ship they can’t even pilot on the most basic level... Who the fuck doesn’t know about reserves?  _ He chooses not to remember that it was he who crashed the ship after burning through the reserves. Details like that are unimportant when you’re a self-proclaimed genius. 

“So what if I am?”

“So what if you are, indeed.”

“Will you untie me if I tell you how I did it?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“ _ Puh-LEAS-” _

“NO.”

At that moment the door opens and Kang appears, looking rugged and holding up a torn poster of some sort. Jae tenses up at the sight of him, remembering that the last thing he saw was Kang getting decked by the captain,  _ his own crewmate,  _ before passing out. He seems to have calmed down considerably. Probably because Jae was no longer an immediate threat. Probably because he was tied up and his knife was still somewhere on the deck just out of reach from him. (Probably because he knew that his captain was safe now).

“Captain-”

“Ah, Younghy- Kang. Were you able to return the horse and get the fuel?”

“Yeah, no problems there… but look at this.”

He holds out the poster to the captain, who scans over it quickly before looking back at Jae. 

“Park Jaehyung you said?”

Jae gulps, pretending that he doesn’t already know that what Kang presents to the captain is a wanted poster with his face clearly plastered on the front of it, and a hefty reward of 800k won. _Fuck._

“Did I say that was my name? Yeah, funny thing about that… I don’t reme-”

The captain holds the poster up next to his face for comparison.  _ I’m so fucked. _

“Yeah there’s no mistaking it Sungjin-ah, it’s him.” Kang crosses his arms and shoots a glare in his direction.  _ Definitely-Not-Cute-Kinda-Cute.  _

The captain --or rather, Sungjin,  sighs and looks at the poster again. 

“Eight hundred  _ thousand  _ Won. The Alliance wants you pretty badly,  _ Jaehyung. _ ”

Kang whistles low, like he’s impressed.

“Captain… we could fix the ship up properly with that… hire a crew even.”

“Yeah. We could…”

“... but-”

“Yeah. I know.”

“What should we do?”

“Well he’s clearly more useful to us alive at any rate. We could sell him to a bounty hunter if anything.”

Jae scans around the room to see if there’s anyway that he can grab his knife and cut himself free.  _ Yeah right! Like hell I’m gonna let that happen.  _ He rolls around helplessly, his limbs useless against his restraints. 

“What could the Alliance possibly want with him? It’s not like he’s much of a threat.”

“Hmmm”

_ whisperwhisperwhisperwhisper _

“Hmmm”

_ whisperwhisperwhisperwhisper _

“Hey, I have idea what if we made him ou-”

They stand in contemplation, paying no mind to Jae’s position on the floor. While they wonder out loud he remembers  the small dagger that he keeps sheathed in his right boot. He doesn’t reach for it often, haunted by the memories of his parents. He might be able to reach it if he can contort himself  _ just right.  _

_ (“Keep it safe Jaehyung, it might come in handy someday”  _

_ “Why would I need a knife though? “Your dad and I might not always be around to help you when you’re in trouble you know” “I’m pretty sure that’s a lie and we’ll be together forever!” She smiles weakly as she tucks the knife carefully in a kerchief and hands it to the small boy. He holds it close to his chest. “I’ll protect you and dad when I get big so you can count on me” “We love you Jaehyung”)   _

He wriggles around uncomfortably until he can feel the cool handle on his fingertips.  _ Got it. _ Without hesitation he unsheathes it and manages to cut himself free in a matter of seconds, rolling towards the discarded knife on the floor in order to double arm himself in preparation for his attack.

“UH excuse me, but maybe you could discuss my fate, you know, not directly in front of me?”

Both Kang and Sungjin turn around to catch Jae on his feet, knives pointed at either of their throats. 

“Oh for fu-”

The captain reaches into his coat, drawing his pistol at lightning speed. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,  _ thief. _ ”

Kang is already on the move, bringing an elbow down on Jae’s right arm before he has the chance to so much as swipe at either of them. The blow causes him to drop the knife. In a moment of weakness he feels Sungjin hit his other side.  _ Disarmed. Again.  _

“Man you’re fucking slow. Haven’t you  _ ever _ heard the saying? Never bring a knife to a gunfight.”

“Ouch! Hey man, you’re not even using a gu-”

“Will you two give it a rest already? Jeez.”

“Sorry Cap’n”

Sungjin sighs, lowering his pistol slowly and giving Kang the nod to let go as well. 

“There’s no use in trying to fight us, you’re outnumbered two-to one, you’re already weak from earlier,  _ and  _ we’ve disarmed you. Again.”

Kang is silent as he takes up his position next to Sungjin again, frowning down at Jae in a way that almost makes his heart flutter. 

Jae is embarrassed to say the least.  _ What kind of shitty thief gets caught not once, but twice in one day?  _ He’s  _ never _ been this bad before, and he silently curses at the Gods for the betrayal… and more than anything he’s  _ tired _ and kind of just wants to lay down and sleep. It’s dark outside from what he can see through the wide panel of windows that surround them in the cockpit. The sky is clear and that thin layer of dust has already settled itself onto the outside of the ship for the night. 

“Fine. I concede. What’s next? You gonna sell me off for money? Take me into the Alliance yourselves?”

“Watch your tongue,  _ idiot _ .”

The insult is weak but it burns off Kang’s tongue.

“We… don’t get along with the Alliance, to say the least. So you can trust us on that front… but maybe we can strike a deal with you. Since we’re already here and all.”

Jae frowns. He doesn’t like where this is going. 

“Look, you guys seem….  _ great _ , but I’m not about to bargain with you for my life so you can forget it.”

Sungjin looks toward Kang and sighs. 

“We need a pilot, as you can probably already tell… and you seem to know your way around a ship, at least to some degree. Join our crew and we’ll call this whole little incident even.”

“...Seriously? You guys are so desperate that you want  _ me?  _ The thief who literally tried to  _ kill you _ earlier this evening after almost successfully  _ stealing your ship?” _

Sungjin nods his head lightly to indicate that  _ yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. _ Jae is dumbstruck. 

“I just… how do I know I can trust you? Especially after you,” he points at Kang, “tried to murder me.”

“Yeah I’m not happy about it either but it’s better than having to deal with the  _ Alliance _ at any rate.” Kang crosses his arms over his chest. 

“Besides… we’re not sure we can even get the ATOM in the air again after what you did to her today.”

“You don’t make a very compelling argument, you know. There are mechanics in town that could easily fix this junker of a sh-”

Kang turns his back to Jae, finding his exit from the conversation.  _ Super rude, not cute.  _

“Captain, I’m tired. I’m turning in for the night,” he turns back one last time to face Jae, “...and she’s not junk.” Kang makes his way out of the room swiftly, sucking most of the negative energy that had been hanging over them along with him.

“Anyways, It’s late and today has been long. We’ll fuel up and take off in the morning,” Sungjin looks towards Jae, exhaustion written all over his face. “You can sleep in the cabin to the right of here. There’s no bedding, but you’ll probably be more comfortable there than outside in the cold.”

Jae shudders at the thought.

“You really think I’m stupid enough to sleep in enemy terr-”

“There’s a lock on the door. I don’t care what you do, just go to bed or get the fuck off my ship please, I’m done arguing with your sorry ass.”

Sungjin’s words are cold but there’s no real bite to them. He’s tired. Jae might have actually managed to charm him after all.

“So… you’re not going to turn me in?”

“No”

“You won’t sell me?”

“Not today.”

“So you might still se-”

“Jesus, can you just shut up? We’ll deal with you in the morning. Whether you choose to stay and join our crew as our pilot or leave before we take off I don’t care. Conversation over. Goodnight.”

Sungjin walks out of the cockpit, and disappears down a corridor where Jae can only assume his quarters are, and he’s alone. 

_ Join the crew huh.  _

It’s not the worst punishment ever, and then he would at least have access to a ship. It’s still his freedom, just with added responsibility. Jae reaches down to pick up his knives, tucking them away safely (One in his boot, one on his belt). He steps towards the small cabin to the right of the cockpit. Above the door hangs a sign which reads “Pilot’s Quarters” and Jae can’t be bothered to suppress the small smile that tugs at his lips.  _ Pilot Park Jaehyung.  _

The room is mostly empty aside from a few boxes. It needs work before it’s fit for anyone to really live in, but maybe it’s not the worst. And it’s warm. And it feels kind of  _ right. _

He decides that he’ll wake with the sun and decide then. He’s sure that he’ll leave this stupid ship and its stupid crew in the morning, but deep down in his heart of hearts his conviction to leave is much weaker than he wants to admit. 

Jae curls up on top of his jacket and feels himself drift off into a dream where he’s the hero. Where he finds the treasure, brings it back, laughs with  _ friends _ . The door to the cabin remains unlocked and he sleep soundly through the night. 

 

~*~

Somewhere on the other side of the White Sun Galaxy a young doctor takes something that does not belong to him, setting himself up for a long journey with far more hardships than he could ever imagine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will be taking place in DoPil land! Wowee  
> Yell at me on my [CC](https://curiouscat.me/KIASK)  
> Yell at me on my [twt](https://twitter.com/kiaskonawhim)


	3. Blue Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonpil wants to be the best doctor in the Verse but Fate has other plans for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sweats*  
> Bear with me while I sort out my fear of Details. This chapter was Exhausting to write so I hope you enjoy it! I'm sorry if it's a bit of a downer!
> 
> Also important notes:  
> There are mentions of vomiting, death, violence, the pink knit  
> Allusions to PTSD
> 
> If there's anything I missed please let me know!

A long, thin hallway stretches out before him. Rooms line both sides, all the way down to the enormous double doors at the end. The dorms are cramped, but they are clean and orderly. Everything is pristine and quiet aside from the occasional slide of a door as students slowly filter out of their rooms and down the hall towards the cafeteria. 

Most of them already dressed in their long white coats, ready for the day’s assignments, ready for the new year to begin.Young men and women, hand-picked by the Alliance to become the Universe’s leading scientists and doctors. Kim Wonpil feels a sense in pride for what he is to become. 

From a young age he had displayed strength in maths and sciences, telling his parents that he was going to become the best doctor in the world.

He watched his father excell in his work, perfecting a molecule that would later become critical in the development of the Alliance’s standard anesthesia which essentially won them the War against the Rebels. Now it’s his turn to make a difference in not only his life, but the lives of countless others. ( _ “I made it! I got in!” “We had no doubts that you would. You’re my son after all.” “I’ll make you proud.” “Indeed you will.” _ ).

Classes are intense, everyone competing to be in the top ten. 

Days turn into weeks turn into months. It’s exhausting, but Wonpil is proud of his work, maintaining his position of Number Two. (His parents are proud. His father is proud).

Over the months students get frustrated, either cracking under the pressure and dropping out or sticking it out until the end. Wonpil doesn’t pay much attention to the numbers. The only spot he really notices is the one directly above him on the board whenever the marks go up. 

_ Yoon Dowoon.  _

No matter what he does, he’s always a few points ahead of him. Wonpil can have a perfect score and this  _ Yoon Dowoon _ still somehow manages to get out on top. Things stay this way for the entirety of their first year in the Academy. They never actually meet. 

  
  


Sometime during the manufactured planet’s Spring of their second year things change. Unfamiliar faces becoming familiar, faces to names, enemies to friends. Exam season comes and goes. Wonpil’s name appears at the top of the list and  _ Yoon Dowoon’s _ disappears entirely. 

Most people assume that he cracked. 

Wonpil doesn’t think twice about it. 

  
  


Wonpil checks his appearance in the mirror. He adjust the collar on his turtleneck to avoid discomfort, wondering if maybe he should change into the sweater his mom sent him for his birthday instead. He likes the argyle pattern but decides that the pink might be a bit too aggressive for casual celebratory drinks with friends. The turtleneck looks good on him, makes him look mature and important. 

_ I look like dad. _

He nods to the figure in the mirror one last time before grabbing a light jacket. Bidding farewell to his brighter pink friend before stepping out into the familiar hallway. 

“Wonpil!”

A friendly voice shouts from down the hall. Mark Tuan waves him over, his shirt flowing with each movement.  _ He’s pretty. _ Wonpil can feel the heat in his cheeks but he knows that Mark has his sights set on bigger game. He tries to focus on anything but the shiny leather pants his friend is wearing. 

“Hey man, you ready to go?” He smiles politely and prays that he looks okay in comparison. It’s not often that the medical students get invited to celebrate finals being over with the other departments. Mark has a friend in the Engineering department, and they decided that all of them should meet up at the pub just beyond the Core on campus. 

They link arms and walk briskly through the halls of the main hospital - a shortcut of sorts. They wave at the residents as they walk by, getting the occasional remarks of “stay safe boys” and “don’t forget that you’re back to class tomorrow”.

Mark laughs it off but Wonpil feels embarrassed already.    

  
  


Engineers are like bears but in reverse. They hibernate for 11 months of the year, trapped in their rooms studying, working on projects, only coming up to the surface world for the occasional snack. After finals they unleash themselves upon the campus like a sleep deprived tsunami running off of pure adrenaline. 

Wonpil has heard the ocasional whispers of them as though they were faeries living amongst them, only revealing themselves for one month out of the year before going back into hiding. He almost feels bad for them. He thought the medical students had it bad (The medical students work hard but they also manage to maintain a social life outside of the work that they do, some would argue that this is imperative to the development of their young minds.)

What was proposed to Wonpil as a relaxing night at the pub to unwind after finals turned out to be exactly what he feared the most: an absolute shitshow. 

Young men and women, hand-picked by the Alliance to become the Universe’s leading scientists and doctors (and engineers) getting thrown out of a bar during last call. A rowdy bunch. Wandering hands, body shots, hidden flasks, smeared eyeliner. They slither through the streets like a drunk snake, searching for their next target. The bass of a club pulses somewhere down the street and the group edges toward it. 

Wonpil feels himself fading a little more than he’d like to admit. The alcohol hit him hard.

He wants to continue, but he’s too far gone, much too tired. Jisoo leans against him as they walk. He calls out. 

“Hey Mark… I’m… I’m tired and Jisoo, she’s not looking well so… I’m gon to… I’m going to walk her home and call it a night okay?”

“Wonpiiiiiiiilieeeeeee, you’re going to miss my  _ dance _ .”

“I’ll dance with you  _ next  _ time. Don’t… stay out too late. We have class, r’mmmember?”

Jisoo grunts in approval, waving her hand dismissively as a “Thanks for the party, I’ll see you in class tomorrow morning” and Mark laughs.

“ _ Fiiiiine,  _ you lightweights. Get home safe!”

 

They’re alone now, just Wonpil and Jisoo. The thumping of the bass from the club up the street slowly fading as she directs him to the dorm on the complete opposite side of campus to his own. It’s a long journey, and they stop only twice for her to hurl into a bush. One of the other girls from her dorm greets them at the entrance, taking over and thanking Wonpil for being kind enough to help her out. 

He steps into the cool night air, silently cursing at himself for forgetting to bring his headphones along with him (He thought he would be walking home with Mark). 

It’s a long way back, and he’s tired. At this point all of the buildings look exactly the same, and he can’t tell if it’s because he’s drunk or if it’s because it’s somewhere near 3:30 AM. Either way he manages to spot the central hospital and makes his way towards the door, trying not to stumble too much as he passes by the reception desk. 

Nobody says anything, and he makes his way through the main lobby and through a series of hallways towards his dorm. Or at least where he thinks they are. 

_ I could have sworn this was the right way.  _

The problem with the graveyard shift in Central is that nobody is really around to help him, and even if they were he doesn’t want to put his dignity as their top student on the line so he continues to walk down long corridors with the purpose of someone who knows where they’re going. 

The halls grow quieter and quieter the further in he goes and  _ yeah,  _ he’s definitely lost.

Something churns in his stomach and he sure he’s going to hurl. Wonpil rushes towards the nearest door, turning the handle with ease and stepping into what looks vaguely like an observation room. There are clear cases full of different vials lining one of the walls, and various medical instruments laid out on trays. Nothing too out of the ordinary for Central. This is probably one of the senior labs, which is why he doesn’t recognize any of the surrounding hallways. 

Wonpil doesn’t waste too much time dwelling on the details. He grabs the nearest waste bin, praying that nobody walks in on him. 

After a solid minute of retching he whispers a small apology to nobody before turning on his heels to exit the room. 

_ I need to get home… _

Footsteps echo somewhere behind the door, approaching quickly. A smart man would have stepped out and confessed to being lost, maybe even gotten help and a light scolding. Wonpil’s instincts kick in and instead he finds himself pressed up against the wall next to the door, ready to hide and slip out unnoticed. 

The door opens and two young doctors step into the room, chatting nonchalantly about their work. The lights flicker to life and they make their way towards the dark glass of the observation room. The smaller one sets his clipboard on a desk and sighs.

Wonpil freezes, waiting for the right moment to make his escape. 

_ “What are we supposed to do? Leave him here to die?” _

_ “I don’t know. The director seems to have found a more suitable subject so we don’t need him anymore.” _

_ “What was this one’s name? Dawon?” _

_ “Dowoon. He was one of the first you know, but I guess he was too stubborn in the end.” _

_ Dowoon? Yoon Dowoon? _

Wonpil feels his heart seize as he takes in the gravity of the conversation that he’s hearing. A conversation not meant for him to hear. Something secret, something  _ sinister.  _

_ “Oh well,”  _ The taller doctor grabs a pair of blue gloves from a box sitting on the counter next to them, taking the time to make sure her fingers are snug before rifling through the case of vials. She selects one, inserting a syringe into it and slowly drawing the clear liquid, “Time to get to work.”

The smaller doctor pulls something out of his pocket, loading it with small pellets.  _ A tranquilizer? _

_ “Seems cruel, doesn’t it? _

_ “It’s not like he has a family to go back to. Besides, we can’t just release him back into society and expect him to stay quiet.” _

The smaller doctor punches in a code to open the door to the room behind the glass, signaling for the other to follow him.

_ “Idiot, that’s what erasure technology was created for.” _

_ “I don’t know, erasing someone’s entire life from their memory seems like a fate much worse than death to me.” _

_ “You’re way too soft for this.” _

_ “Let’s just hurry up and get this over with, I’m tired.” _

_ “Hey, wanna get pancakes after this?” _

_ “At that 24/hr diner?” _

_ “Yeah, I hear the graveyard shift is actually the best for food.” _

_ “Sounds nice.” _

The lights behind the glass come on to reveal a mostly empty room, save for a small figure curled up in the corner. Panic rises within Wonpil, threatening to make his presence known as he muffles a gasp. The doctors don’t seem to notice, and he takes that as his cue to get out. 

Slipping out of the room is easy, and he runs down the hall as quickly as he can until he feels like he’s far enough away to catch his breath. As soon as his legs stop moving sobriety hits him like a ton of bricks.  _ They’re going to kill him. They’re going to kill Yoon Dowoon and I just watched and ran away like an idiot. _

His heart drops.  _ Why are they doing this? Why is the Alliance doing this? Was he here this entire time? What did they do to him? _

A million questions come to him all at once and it’s  _ overwhelming. _ He pukes. 

He has half a mind to just go back to his dorm quietly. Maybe shower quickly, wash away this gross feeling of helplessness and sense of guilt. Maybe pretend he didn’t overhear those doctors, chalk it up to a fever dream. Continue to study medicine, help people, surpass his father. 

_ Help people. _

_ I want to Help people. _

Wonpil is afraid. Fear courses through his veins and takes over.

He stands up, running back down the hall to the lab he had just barely managed to slip away from unnoticed. His body moves on its own, his heart races. Rationality escapes him as he opens the door and slams himself against the glass of the observation window. Wonpil fears that he might be too late, and now he’s gone and put his own life in danger too. 

He expects to see the limp body of Yoon Dowoon on the floor, the two doctors cleaning up after themselves, chatting lightly as though they didn’t just murder a student. 

Instead he’s greeted by the sight of Yoon Dowoon, standing in the middle of the room with the tranquilizer device that the smaller doctor had, pointing it towards the tall woman with the blue gloves. He looks angry, and doesn’t seem to notice Wonpil before he fires at her. 

The doctor drops to the ground, the syringe breaking against the clean white tiles of the lab’s floor. The smaller doctor is somewhere on the ground, out of sight from where Wonpil is looking in. 

Yoon Dowoon throws the device towards the wall and looks directly at Wonpil, eyes wide.  _ He’s terrified. _

Wonpil runs into the observation room and catches Dowoon as he passes out on him.

_ What the fuck. WHAT THE FUCK.  _

He checks for a pulse to make sure that he simply fainted. The pulse is light but he can still feel it.  _ I can still save him. He’ll live. I’ll save him I’llsavehimi’llsavehi- _

“Hey…. Hey Dowoon.”

He taps on his cheek lightly, hoping to at least get a response. Nothing.

Across from him lays the smaller of the two doctors. There’s blood on the wall where he has likely been smashed into it. Red seeps into the otherwise pristine coat that he wears. Wonpil shudders.  _ He’s dead hesdead hesdead.  _ He pushes the thought aside and tried to concentrate on Dowoon in his arms. His breathing is staggered, but he won’t be waking anytime soon. Wonpil slides his jacket off, wrapping it around Dowoon’s shoulders. He doesn't want to constrict him so he ties the sleeves together and prays that they don’t choke him as he shifts to lift Dowoon onto his back. 

An alarm goes off somewhere in the distance and he  _ knows _ he’s about to be in a lot of trouble, or worse--  _ dead _ . He notices a camera in the corner of the room, sees the shutters go off before he can even register the severity of the situation he’s landed himself in. 

_ This is the last time I EVER drink with Engineers. _

He expects Dowoon to be lighter than he actually is, and struggles to get his bearings. Letting instinct fueled by adrenaline take over, he makes a run for it down the unfamiliar hallways, praying to every god known and unknown that they make it out alive. 

He searches for signs, anything to help him find out how to get back to his dorms. Time is of the essence. 

In the distance he hears shouts.  _ They’re coming for me. _

He tightens his grip on Dowoon and makes his way for the nearest door, praying that the next room has a window. 

He knows that he never left the first floor of the building, so making his exit via window should be no issue as long as he can lock the door behind him first.  _ How did I get here? Why is this happening? _ Panic comes and goes, making it difficult to keep his head on while he fumbles with the handle of the door. 

The room is an old classroom, one that first years probably use for testing. It’s small, but sure enough there are three windows lining the otherwise bare walls to the back. 

He scans the room quickly for something to block the door with, knowing that the CCTVs are catching his every movement and security will be there at any moment. 

Dowoon is deadweight on his back, slowing him down significantly. He reluctantly lays him down on the floor next to the windows in order to work on his barricade of chairs and desks. It’s not great, and he’s making a ton of noise, but he hopes it will at least stall their pursuers. 

_ Why am I even doing this? Am I dreaming? Is this a nightmare? Can I still become a doctor? Can I still Save people? I want to Help people I want to help wanttohelp. _

He doesn’t even realize that he’s stopped moving until he’s on the floor, wind knocked out of him as Yoon Dowoon pins him down. Something sharp presses lightly against Wonpil’s skin and he’s sure that it’s a scalpel and he’s sure that he’ll die here if he doesn’t get a hold of himself.

 

“You’re awake!”

“Who the fuck are  _ you?!” _

 

Dowoon’s eyes are dark, his pupils blown in fear and maybe anger. Wonpil knows that reasoning with him could be out of the question, even if he was just trying to save his life.

“Dowoon…”

“ _ Why are you here?” _ His words sting, but he’s crying when he says them. Losing his composure, loosening his grip on the scalpel ever so slightly. 

In that moment Wonpil reaches up and pulls Dowoon’s body down onto him, squeezing him into an embrace so tight that not even he understands it. It’s a desire to protect that takes over, all other feelings flying out the door.  _ I’m here because it’s my oath to help those who are hurting. _

Like putty Dowoon melts into him, unleashing a torrent of emotions in a string of incoherent mumblings. Sobs of  _ imsoscared  _ and  _ theybrokeme _ and  _ ineedtoescape. _

Wonpil doesn’t understand. He doesn’t need to understand. He chooses not to waste time even trying, especially when they could be surrounded at any second. All he knows is that Dowoon is  _ hurt _ and they need to get far away from this place. 

He knows that neither of them are safe anymore. He struggles to sit up, letting Dowoon take his time to move with him. 

“We’re going to get out of here.”

“Don’t… make promises you can’t keep.”

“It’s not a promise Yoon Dowoon, it’s a fact. We don’t have much time though so I need you to compose yourself.”

Wonpil unties the jacket from Dowoon’s shoulders, allowing him to slip his arms through the sleeves. It’s loose around his shoulders, and Dowoon looks so  _ small _ . Wonpil’s heart catches in his throat as he zips the jacket over the thin hospital gown. _ It’s not much, but hopefully it brings him a sense of comfort. _

They both stand to face the wall of windows. 

“Now… we just need to get these windows open-” 

Before Wonpil has the chance to finish his through Dowoon has already thrown a desk at the glass, shattering it.

_ Yeah like that isn’t going to draw attention towards us. _

Dowoon is already outside by the time Wonpil gets to the opening, trying to be careful not to slice his hands open on the jagged glass. 

He’s not far from the ground but the distance is enough to make Wonpil a little nervous about making the jump. The sound of bodies slamming against the barricaded doors is all it takes to make up his mind. He hits the cold ground a little less gracefully than he had imagined in his mind’s eye, but that’s fine. Dowoon is there waiting for him, shivering against the cool air. 

Wonpil grabs his hand and they run. 

 

He’s not sure how long they run for. It feels like hours when really it’s only been a few minutes. There doesn’t seem to be a chase, and they find themselves catching their breath in an alley in an unfamiliar part of campus. 

Wonpil slides down the wall so that he’s sitting, head between his legs. No longer caring about how there’s mud on his jeans, and blood on his hands. He sighs deeply and tries to hold back the sob that’s been threatening to escape his throat ever since they left the hospital behind. A hand rests gently on his head. He looks up and Dowoon is shaking but manages to mutter a small “thank you… thank you…I’m _ so _ rry… I’m sorry”

His eyes are red and watery, like he’s about to burst. Wonpil swallows down the lump in his throat and reaches out to him. An overwhelming need to hold and protect, to tell him he’s safe even though they aren’t quite there yet. Wonpil has never felt this type of emotion before in his life.

They had managed to escape the hospital, but they still needed to find a way off of the planet if they were to truly escape. Wonpil knows that he can never go back to his dorm. 

He doesn’t have a lot of material possessions, but the ones he left behind are precious. He tries not to think of the knit his mother had given to him, tries not to think of the framed picture of his family that sits on his desk, tries not to think of his  _ friends. _

_ I can never go back. _

Dowoon is silent, and Wonpil knows that he can’t leave him behind now. He thanks the gods for at least having his wallet on him. Other than the few pieces of ID and the couple thousand won he has in his account, he has nothing. Except for Dowoon.  _ I have Dowoon. He’s all I have. _

They were strangers up until earlier this morning, and Wonpil can still barely believe it, wonders if he’s going to wake up soon. 

The sun begins to peek out from behind the tops of the buildings. Soon it will be daylight, and  _ They  _ will probably be coming for them. He tries to think of a way to get off-planet without being discovered.  _ There’s no way we’ll get past security… they’re looking for us and we’ll be landlocked the second we try to break atmosphere.  _

Wonpil is  _ tired _ and Dowoon is clearly in a world of his own, curled up against Wonpil and shivering. His legs are bloodied and bruised and Wonpil just  _ knows _ he’s probably cold but all he has is the jacket and nothing else. He makes a mental note to look for something warmer for both of them to wear whenever they get the chance. He’s in full survival-mode now, something he had only ever experienced before in post-apocalyptic video games. 

 

The sound of an ambulance shuttle flying overhead sparks an idea. 

“Dowoon… we need to go back to the hospital.”

Dowoon’s eyes go wide and he frowns but doesn’t try to protest the suggestion.

“O-okay.”

“We need to sneak on to one of those,” Wonpil points towards the shuttle above them, growing smaller as it leaves the surface, “if we can hide on board in the supplies crates we should be able to get through security.”

“Scanners….”

“I’ve been on rounds before, they never actually check the scanners until after they pickup the patient. All they care about is reaching their target and getting back in the alloted time. We’ll have a short window, but if we can time it just right they’ll never even know we were there.”

Dowoon opens his mouth to say something but seems to take it back before the words even leave his mouth. 

“You can trust me Yoon Dowoon. I’ll  _ help  _ you. We’ll get you out of here.”

“O-Okay.”

 

***

 

Somewhere far off into the vast space of the White Sun Galaxy the ATOM celebrates their new pilot, cheering into the night as they sail towards the Junkyard of one of the many moons of Persephone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week get ready for some Jaehyungparkian flirting
> 
>  
> 
> _  
>  In Space   
>  _

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you all stick around for this wild space adventure because I'm excited?  
> Yell at me on my [CC](https://curiouscat.me/KIASK)  
> or alternatively yell at me on Yell at me on my [twt](https://twitter.com/kiaskonawhim)


End file.
